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Alaska Wilderness League

EIN 52-1814742 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

PROTECT ALASKA'S WILD LANDS AND WATERS BY INSPIRING BROAD SUPPORT FOR FEDERAL POLICY ACTION.

Income
$4.0 million
Spending
$3.6 million
Spent on programs
70%
Reserves
27.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 92%
Employees
21
Volunteers
850
Highest pay
$209,015, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 59% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 27.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 11% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 11% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 45% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    70% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    15 of 15 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $1.4 million spent. REFUGE - THE ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE HAS BEEN A PRIMARY FOCUS OF AWL SINCE ITS FOUNDING. EVER SINCE CONGRESS VOTED TO OPEN UP THE ARCTIC REFUGE COASTAL PLAIN FOR OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION IN 2017, AWL'S PRIMARY GOAL HAS BEEN RESTORING PROTECTIONS WHILE STOPPING AND LIMITING DAMAGE FROM ANY AND ALL INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT. TO SECURE THIS GOAL, AWL WORKS WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO SECURE A WILDERNESS DESIGNATION AND MINIMIZE IMPACTS FROM THE 2017 TAX ACT, ALONG WITH OTHER POLICIES THAT PROTECT REFUGE LANDS FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE USES. AWL'S WORK INCLUDES EDUCATING AND MOBILIZING AMERICANS INCLUDING ALASKANS IN THEIR MEMBER AND SUPPORTER NETWORK, WHILE AWL ALSO LEADS LIKEMINDED ORGANIZATIONS AND ENTITIES WHO ARE ALSO SEEKING LONG-TERM PROTECTIONS FOR THIS ICONIC LANDSCAPE.
  2. $550,859 spent. NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE ALASKA (NPRA) - ALASKA'S WESTERN ARCTIC IS HOME TO INCREDIBLE BIODIVERSITY, FEATURING SOME OF THE LONGEST MIGRATIONS LEFT ON EARTH. AT THE SAME TIME, THE NPRA IS INCREASINGLY THE FOCUS OF OIL AND GAS COMPANIES WHO SEEK TO EXTRACT BILLIONS OF BARRELS OF OIL IN THE DECADES TO COME. AFTER WORKING WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO BETTER PROTECT THIS LANDSCAPE, AWL IS NOW FOCUSED ON KEEPING THOSE PROTECTIONS IN PLACE, ALONG WITH TELLING THE STORY OF WHAT IS AT STAKE IF CURRENT PROTECTIONS ARE LOST. ON TOP OF DEPLOYING AWL'S NETWORKS OF SUPPORTERS, AWL IS ALSO HELPING TO CREATE AND LEAD ELEVATION STRATEGIES THAT INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THIS RELATIVELY UNKNOWN AREA OF ALASKA'S ARCTIC, WHILE OPPOSING OIL AND GAS PROJECTS THAT WOULD LOCK THE REGION INTO OIL PRODUCTION THROUGH THE 2050S AND BEYOND.
  3. $389,622 spent. ARCTIC DEFENSE CAMPAIGN - AWL HOUSES THE CENTRAL STAFF AND SERVES AS THE FISCAL SPONSOR FOR THIS COLLABORATIVE CAMPAIGN EFFORT INVOLVING NATIONAL AND STATE-BASED CONSERVATION GROUPS AS WELL AS INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATIONS BASED IN ALASKA. THIS RECENTLY EXPANDED COLLABORATIVE EFFORT IS NOW AIMED AT PROTECTING BOTH THE NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE-ALASKA AND THE ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE FROM OIL EXTRACTION THREATS.
  4. $179,053 spent. TONGASS - IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA, THE TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST HAS ALREADY TRANSITIONED TO A POST-CLEAR CUT LOGGING ECONOMY, BUT FOR THE PAST DECADE, POLICIES OF THE GOVERNMENT HAVE LAGGED BEHIND. AFTER ACHIEVING STRONGER PROTECTIONS IN YEARS PAST, TODAY AWL IS FOCUSED ON PROTECTING THE ROADLESS RULE'S APPLICABILITY IN THE FOREST, AND THE TRANSITION AWAY FROM LARGE SCALE, CLEAR CUT OLD GROWTH LOGGING. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, AND TO KEEP PUBLIC LANDS PUBLIC IN THE REGION, AWL WORKS CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS BOTH NATIONALLY AND IN ALASKA TO PUSH BACK AGAINST ANY LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PRIVATIZE PUBLIC LANDS IN THIS FOREST.RAPID DEFENSE - DEFENDING ALASKA'S PUBLIC LANDS REQUIRES CONSTANT ATTENTION. SOME THREATS LIKE DRILLING THE ARCTIC REFUGE ARE HIGH PROFILE, AND GARNER PUBLIC SCRUTINY THAT AWL WILL HELP TO SUPPORT THROUGH THEIR LONG RUNNING ADVOCACY EFFORTS DESCRIBED ABOVE. HOWEVER, OTHER THREATS TO THE INTEGRITY OF ALASKA'S PUBLIC LANDS ARE NOT AS OBVIOUS, THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS OR VIA ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION. WITH AWL'S POLICY EXPERTISE AND OFFICE IN ALASKA, AWL IS WELL EQUIPPED TO ANALYZE PUBLIC LAND THREATS STATEWIDE, WHILE AWL SIMULTANEOUSLY WORKS TO INFLUENCE FEDERAL DECISIONS IN WASHINGTON, DC.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending August 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since March 1993.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

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